Automobile doorlock



y 1934- v E. H. CHRISTENSEN ,960,410

AUT OMOB I LE DOOHLOCK Filed Feb. 27, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 am I I i lI] 52. 48 H 1l" EE- 1 "5 as] m INVENTOR ugznzffl, ghriswnszn ATTORNEYfiy 1934- E. H. CHRISTENSEN ,960,410

AUTOMOBILE DOORLOCK Filed Feb. 27, 1933 Z Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORATTORNEYS Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT -FFIQE 4 Claims.

My present device relates to the art of locking devices and moreparticularly to a lock which is designed especially as an automobiledoor lock.

It has recently come to the general notice of 5 automobile users thatthe ordinary type of automobile lock does not give the full measure ofsecurity it was intended to provide. It has been found that in so manyinstances it is possible for a person wishing to gain unlawful entranceto a closed car for them to slip apiece of tubing or gas pipe over theend of the door operating handle and by applying an unusually strongtwisting effort, which their pipe will make possible, they can shear therather small tumblers used on the ordinary door lock and in this wayopen the door. The ease with which a piece of pipe can be concealcd upthe sleeve of such a person makes it quite a favorite method of gainingentrance to a closed car as so often the car owner feeling secure in thefact that he has locked his door will quite often leave the ignitionunlocked. It is to provide means for preventing this unlawful entry intoa closed car particularly that I have provided my present lockingarrangement. Therefore the principal object of my present invention isto pro vide a locking mechanism which is so arranged that no amount ofexternally applied pressure or twisting efforts can force the lockmechanism.

A further object of my present invention is to provide simplified'meanswhereby the operating handle is disconnected from the latch mechanism ofthe car door.

A further object of my present invention is to provide with a freeturning operating handle a bolt which is normally urged into the lockedposition so that if the locking mechanism is disturbed the door willstill remain locked.

A further object of my present invention is to provide a latch operatingpawl which is also normally urged into the unoperative position so thatagain if the external parts of the looked mechanism were to be destroyedor damaged in any way the entire device would become inoperative and 45the door remain in the locked condition.

A final object is the provision of means which will secure a freeturning operating handle in its normal position so that it cannot bedetermined without inspection whether or not the door is 50 providedwith this type of lock.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein,

55 Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view showing (C1. Ni-91) grees.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing in exploded form the variousparts incorporated in this present invention. 1

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference charactersindicate like parts, 10 designates a door and in the present instanceparticularly an automobile door such as used on a closed car. 12 is thedoor jam or car frame which encloses the door and with which the lock 3mechanism engages. Secured within door 10 is the lock frame 14 with itscorresponding cover member 15. Frame 14 is provided with a guide 16adapted to receive the reciprocable latch member 18. This latch membermay be of any suitable design, normally being provided with the cam face20 so that it will be automatically clos ing, a retaining lug 21 and ispreferably urged into its locked position by a spring such as the coilspring 22. Spring 22 is housed within guide 16 after the showing ofFigures 1 to 4 inclusive.

One face of latch 18 is provided preferably with a recess portion 24which is adapted to be engaged by a latch operating pawl 26. Pawl 26 ispreferably pivotably secured within a recess 28 cut in the cylindricalbody of the operating handie 30. It has ben found most desirable toemploy a spring as 32 which engages pawl 26 after the showing of Figures2, 3 and 4 in such a manner as to normally retract it from engagementwith latch 18.

Disposed in a preferably axial bore 34 of handle 30 is a retracting lockspindle 36. This bolt should have one end as 38 suitably machined so asto engage the operating means of the key locking mechanism proper, 40.Secured in one face of lock spindle 36 is an operating lug 42 which inthe present instance I have indicated as being adapted to seat withinrecess 44 and be secured therein by means of screw 45.

The cylindrical portion of handle 30 is adapted for revolving withinbore 46 which is arranged to underlie, normally, guideway 16 and to befreely communicative therewith after the showing of Figures 2, 3 and 4.

When my locking mechanism is assembled in place as in Figure 1, Iprovide outside of the door an enclosing collar 48 and after the handlemember passes thru bore 46 and thru cover plate 15 the retaining nut 50engaging the threaded portion 51 of handle 30 holds the entire assemblyin operative position.

It is found desirable to normally retain hand grasp portion 52 of handlemember 30 in the normal position it would be secured in when the deviceis in its locked position. To accomplish this I provide as shown inFigures 5 and 7 a shallow recess 54 in the cylindrical portion of handle30 and adapted to seat therein a ball or plug arrangement 56. Thisshould be constantly urged into the engaged position by some means as bythe spring 58.

Method of operation In operating my mechanism let it first be assumedthat the door mechanism is in its unlocked position such as would beencountered if the car were in use. When so used the operating pawl 26assumes the position shown in Figures 2 and 3 in which the retractinglock spindle 36 has been revolved by the locking mechanism 40 so thatlug 42presses upwardly on the free end of pawl 26, thus causing it toengage recess 24 in latch 18. Pawl 26 is provided with the hook-likeengaging face 60 which engages a squared end as 62 in recess 24. Now byturning handle 30 lock spindle 36 with its lug 42 and latch and pawl 26which is attached, as by pin 64, to member 30 revolves with it, thusretracting the latch 18 as shown in Figure 3. It will be apparent it isbelieved that when the bolt is fully retracted pawl 26 will limitfurther rotary movement of handle 30 in the unlocking position byengaging abutment 65 of frame 14, and if an attempt were made as inFigure 2 to turn handle 30 in the reverse direction pawl 26 would engageframe 14 so as to arrest any such movement. At all times it is to beunderstood that latch 18 is independently urged by spring 22 into itslocked position.

When it is desired to place my locking mechanism in its locked positionthe lock mechanism 40 is revolved by means of key 66 thus turning withit the retracting lock spindle 36 and turning lug 42 downwardly out ofengagement with pawl 26 after the showing of Figure 4. In this positionhandle 30 is free to revolve except for the restraining influence oflock member 56. If any appreciable force is applied however the handlecan be turned against this locking means which is only for the purposeof holding the handle in its normal position. No matter how much handle30 is revolved pawl 26 will not interfere with the normally lockedposition of latch 18.

Let it be assumed that nut 50 has been loosened from handle 30, handle30 can be then retracted entirely from the mechanism but it carries withit pawl 26 which is a necessary operative means and the lock mechanismis in no way affected. This is a condition which could be easilyprevented by adequately securing nut 50 onto the threaded portion 51. Itwill be clearly understood it is believed that any damage directedagainst handle 30 or any unusual twisting action could in no way releaselatch 18 and it is believed that a very secure locking means has beenprovided yet one which adds little if any additional cost to the lockingmechanisms at present employed.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are believed toclearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will beunderstood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that suchchanges in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope andspirit of the following claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:--

1. In a door 1001;, the combination with a spring pressed slide-bolthaving a bottom mortise, and a housing for the bolt, of a transverselyarranged rotary, tubular operating handle and its housing, a rotary lockspindle journaled in the tubular handle, a spring pressed, pivoted pawlmounted in a recess of the rotary handle, an actuating lug on the rotarylock spindle whereby the pawl is engaged in said mortise, and akey-actuated rotary locking mechanism mounted in the handle forco-action with said rotary lock spindle.

2. In a door lock, the combination with a spring pressed slide-bolthaving a mortise, and a housing for the bolt, of a transversely arrangedrotary tubular operating-handle and its housing, means for preventinglongitudinal movement of the handle and a spring-pressed detent forretaining the handle against rotary movement, a rotary lock spindlejournaled in the handle, a keyactuated rotary locking device mounted inthe handle for co-action with said lock spindle, an actuating lug on thelock spindle, a pawl pivoted in a recess of the handle in the path ofsaid lug and adapted to be projected into said mortise, and a spring forretracting the pawl.

3. In a door lock, the combination with a spring-pressed slide-bolthaving a mortise and a housing for the bolt, of a transversely arranged,rotary, tubular operating handle and its housing, a retaining nut onsaid handle exterior of the housing, a rotary lock spindle mounted inthe handle and a head thereon, key-actuated rotary locking mechanism inthe handle co-acting with said head, a pawl pivoted in the handleadapted to engage a recess in the slide bolt and a spring for retainingsaid pawl in retracted position, and a lug on said rotary lock spindleadapted to engage and project the pawl into said recess.

4. In a door lock, the combination with a spring pressed slide-bolthaving a mortise and a housing for the bolt, of a transversely arranged,rotary, tubular operating handle and a housing therefor rigid with thefirst housing and open thereto, a retaining nut on thehandle exterior ofits housing, a rotary lock spindle mounted in the handle and a headthereon, a key-actuated locking device in the handle for co-action withthe said head, a spring-pressed detent mounted in the second housing forengagement with the handle, a pawl pivoted in the handle adapted toengage said mortise and a spring for retaining said pawl in retractedposition, a lug on the rotary lock spindle for frictionally engaging andprojecting said pawl into the mortise, and said housings having anabutment for co-action with the pawl to limit rotary movement of thehandle when the pawl is projected.

EUGENE H. CHRISTENSEN.

